Removable sign cartridge for changeable message sign

ABSTRACT

An advertising sign is formed of a long, scroll-like sheet bearing a number of advertising messages, with the opposite ends of the sheet wound around spaced apart rollers for displaying a portion of the scroll between the rollers and changing the displayed portion by winding the scroll from one roller to the other and vice-versa. The sign includes a fixed position, vertically arranged frame having vertical side tracks. Each of the rollers is arranged within an elongated, open top box, with the roller ends rotatably mounted upon the end wall of the boxes. The boxes are arranged one above the other and open towards each other and may be abutted together to form a single closed container or cartridge for shipping, handling and storing the rollers and scroll protected within the container, all as a single unit separate from the frame. For sign display use, the lower box is connected to the bottom of the sign frame and the opposite ends of the upper box are engaged with and lifted up the track and secured near the upper end of the sign frame to display a portion of the scroll between the now, spaced apart rollers. Power drive means on the frame engages each of the rollers for rotating them for winding the scroll. The cartridge may be removed and replaced with a similar cartridge having a different message bearing scroll.

United States Patent 1191 Singer m1 3,839,808 1 Oct. 8, 1974 REMOVABLE SIGN CARTRIDGE FOR CHANGEABLE' MESSAGE SIGN [75] Inventor: Karl Singer, Huntington Woods,

3,684,211 8/1972 Takeichi et al. 3,702,726 11/1972 Takeichi et a1. 352/158 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 128,381 0/1919 Great Britain 40/86 R 1,191,272 4/1959 France 40/86 R 1,442,446 5/1966 France 40/86 R 777,521 12/1934 France 40/86 R 459,287 9/1950 Italy 40/86 R Primary ExaminerJ. H. Wolff Attorney, Agent, or FirmCullen, Settle, Sloman & Cantor [57] ABSTRACT An advertising sign is formed of a long, scroll-like sheet bearing a number of advertising messages, with the opposite ends .of the sheet wound around spaced apart rollers for displaying a portion of the scroll between the rollers and changing the displayed portion by winding the scroll from one roller to the other and vice-versa. The sign includes a fixed position, verti-' cally arranged frame having vertical side tracks, Each of the rollers is arranged within an elongated, open top box, with the roller ends rotatably mountedupon the end wall of the boxes. The boxes are arranged one above the other and open towards each other and may be abutted together to form a single closed container or cartridge for shipping, handling and storing the rollers andscroll protected within the container, all as a single unit separate from the frame. For sign display use, the lower box is connected to thebottom-of the sign frame and the opposite ends of the upper 'box are engaged with and lifted up the track and secured near the upper end of the sign frame to display a portion of the scroll between the now, spaced apart rollers. Power drive means on the frame engages each of the rollers forrotating them for winding the scroll. The cartridge may be removed and replaced with a similar cartridge having a different message bearing scroll.

1 Claim, 12 Drawing Figures REMOVABLE SIGN CARTRIDGE FOR CI-IANGEABLE MESSAGE SIGN BACKGROUND OF INVENTION The invention herein relates to improvements in large size advertising signs of the type having advertising messages imprinted upon the surface of an elongated scroll whose opposite ends are wound around spaced apart rollers so as to expose successive portions 1 of the scroll between the rollers, by winding the scroll from one roller to the other and vice-versa. In the socalled on premise type signs, that is, the large signs particularly found in outdoor locations, the large size of such scrolls make them difficult to handle, transport and store and in addition difficult to protect when not in use.

Since it is desirable to form such a sign with a fixed sign support and a removable scroll which may be replaced with similar scrolls, the invention herein relates to improved means for handling the scroll both away from the basic sign frame as well as within the sign frame.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION The invention herein contemplates a sign formed of a fixed frame unit within which is mounted an elongated scroll whose opposite ends are wrapped around rollers mounted within the frame for successively exposing different portions of the scroll to view, between the rollers. More specifically, the invention herein contemplates forming a removable cartridge made of a pair of boxes which together from the halves of a container, and with each box rotatably mounting a roller about which the opposite ends of the scroll is wrapped. Thus, the container or cartridge may be closed by abutting the two boxes, with their open sides towards each other, for thereby sealing the two rollers and the scroll within the container for protecting them, as well as for ease of transportation, storage and handling. For display use, the cartridge or container may be inserted within the frame and the upper box may be lifted to the upper part of the frame, with the two rollers then engaged with the frame side members and coupled to a power drive system within the frame for rotating the rollers.

As can be seen, an object of this invention is to provide a cartridge or container for containing the rollers and the scroll at all times, either sealed within the container or cartridge for handling, or merely mounted within the two halves of the cartridge when mounted within the frame for display use and in both instances, providing a means for protecting the scroll and roller.

A further object of this invention is to provide a simplified system for quickly and easily mounting the rollers and scroll within the frame sign and removing them for interchanging them with a different scroll. These and other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent upon reading the following description, of which the attached drawing form a part.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an advertising sign utilizing a changeable message scroll-like sheet.

0 the direction of arrows 5--5 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view, to an enlarged scale, taken in the direction of arrows 66 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of one of the rollers mounted within the cartridge box.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of one end of the roller and box showing the roller coupled to the drive means in the frame.

FIG. 9 is an end view of the box taken in the direction of arrows 9-9 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the mounting of the opposite end of the roller to the sign frame.

FIG. 11 is a rear perspective view of the lower box showing the scroll extending outwardly therefrom.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a lower corner of the sign frame and a portion of the container or cartridge and illustrates the positioning of the cartridge boxes within the frame.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 illustrates a changeable message sign 10 which may be of the large size or so-called on premise type. For example, it may be on the order of ten or more feet in width and the same in height. The dimensions may vary considerably, but the invention herein is particularly suited to the large size type signs, although it could be equally adapted to small size signs used in the interior of buildings.

The sign is formed of a fixed, vertically arranged, rectangular frame 11 made of a top member 12, a bottom member 13 and side members 14 and 15. Within the frame are vertically arranged inner side wall members 16 and 17, each having inwardly extending edge flanges 18 formed along their vertical edges starting a short distance from the bottom of the frame. Thus, the inner side wall members form tracks.

The frame is covered with a suitable removable cover plate or panel 19 having a window opening 20 through which the advertising message may be seen. Also, suitable support legs 21 may be secured to the frame.

The sign includes a cloth-like elongated scroll or sheet 22 upon which numerous advertising messages are imprinted. The opposite ends of the scroll are wrapped or wound around rollers 23 and 24.

The scroll and the rollers are normally mounted or contained within a closed container or cartridge 25 which is formed of an upper box 26 and a lower box 27, each being elongated and of the size to receive and contain a roller, with the two boxes opening towards each other and abutting edge to edge and held together by suitable strapping 28 (see FIG. 3). When the boxes are fastened together as shown in FIG. 3, the cartridge or container may be easily shipped handled and stored and will completely protect the rollers and scroll contained therein.

Referring to FIG. 7, each box has its end walls 29 inset 'toform open end recesses 30 relative to their three long side walls 31. The boxes are preferably substantially identical in construction, with the upper one being inverted relative to the lower one.

The rollers are each formed of a tube 32 having one end closed by a plug 33 upon which is formed a flange 34 for guiding the edge of the scroll which is wrapped around the tube. The plug also includes an axially, outwardly extending spindle 35 which extends through a bushing 36 mounted within an opening 37 in the end wall of the box. A threaded bore or hole 38 is formed axially within the spindle.

The opposite side of each roller is provided with a plug 39 which includes a flange 40 and an axially outwardly extending spindle 41 having a central bore 42 whose inner end is closed by a cover plate 43 fastened to the inner end of the plug in any suitable manner. Within the bore, a coil spring 44 is positioned to engage the inner end of a slidable shaft 45 having a key 46 slidably fitted within a key slot 47 milled within the bore 42. is provided with The outer end of the shaft 45 is affixed to a coupling plate or disk 48 whose outer surface with a number of pins or studs 49 and sockets 50 (see FIG. 9).

The coupling plate may be positionedwithin the recess 30 by pushing it inwardly, against the force of the spring 44 and then holding it within the recess by means of a set screw 51. Alternatively, the set screw may be removed and the coupling plate will then be spring urged out of the recess to extend axially out of the end of the box.

When the scroll is to be stored or handled, that is, when it is not positioned within the sign frame, the two boxes are closed together to form the closed container or cartridge and the coupling plate 48 is arranged within the recess so that the container or cartridge may be handled as a unit. This unit is carried to the sign frame and then positioned upon the lower frame member 13 as illustrated in FIG. 12, with the boxes clearing beneath the lower edges of the flanges 18 of the side members 16 and 17.

Thereafter the lower box 27 is fastened to the frame, in a manner to be described below, and the upper box 26 is lifted upwardly along the track formed by flanges 18, as shown in the dotted lines to the upper end of the frame, where it too is fastened in place.

Each box is fastened within the frame in the same manner. Thus, referring first to FIG. 10, a shoulder screw 54 is inserted through an opening 55 in the inner frame wall 17 and by manipulating its head 56, its threaded screw shank 57 is threadedly engaged within the threaded opening 38 in the plug 33. Thus, the roller is rotatable with the screw forming its axle.

The opposite side of the roller, as shown in FIG. 8, is coupled to a drive means. This is accomplished by removing the set screw 51 so that the plate 48 extends outwardly and engages with a coupling disk 58 which also is formed with corresponding studs and sockets for interlocking the two coupling disks. The coupling disk is attached to a rotatable shaft 59 journalled through an opening 60 in the inner wall 16, with the inner end of the shaft connected to a clutch type pulley 61 driven by a belt or chain 62 by a motor pulley 63 rotated by a suitable electric motor 64.

A suitable control means is provided within the frame to operate the motor to rotate the pulleys first in one direction to thereby rotate both rollers in the samedirection for winding the scroll upon one of them and then, near the end of the winding, to reverse and rewind the scroll back in the opposite direction. The clutch-type pulleys 61, are of a conventional type that permit relative differences in speed of rotation of the upper and lower pulleys, thereby compensating for the varying diameters of the scroll portions wound about the two rollers.

Thus, in operation, the scroll is wound back and forth between in two rollers. Preferably, a suitable control or timing means is provided for intermittently advancing or winding the scroll so that its advertising message may be displayed on a frame by frame or portion by portion basis.

In order to hold the exposed portion of the scroll taut and flat, elongated guide bars 65 are fastened to the end walls of each of the two boxes 26 and 27 for passage of the scroll about them.

In operation, the sealed or closed cartridge is brought to the fixed sign frame which is mounted at some predetermined location. The cartridge is arranged within the frame, as shown in FIG. 12 and in the upper box is lifted upwardly and the rollers are engaged with the frame in the manner described above in connection with FIGS. 8 and 10. The cover plate may be removed or portions thereof may be removed as is necessary to affect the positioning of the scroll within the sign. Thereafter, the scroll is wound first upwardly, then downwardly to expose the various portions thereof. For interchanging the scroll with a different one, the upper box is disconnected and lowered into the position shown in FIG. 12. At this point, the cartridge or container is removed from the sign frame and replaced by a similar one having a different message bearing scroll.

As can be seen, the box halves protect the rollers and scroll at all times, that is, when the halves are connected together to form the closed container, as well as when the rollers are mounted within the opposite ends of the frame.

Having described an operative embodiment of this invention, I now claim:

1. In an advertising sign having a fixed position vertically arranged support frame formed of interconnected elongated vertical side members and havingopposed inner vertical side walls with inwardly extending edge flanges to form vertical tracks, an upper hole in each side wall to horizontally position an upper roller means therebetween and a lower hole in each side wall to horizontally position a lower roller means therebetween, and a pair of coupling means, each associated with one of said holes in one vertical side wall to engage a roller means for rotating the roller means, and a pair of axles each associated with one of said holes in the other vertical side wall, the improvement comprising:

a. an elongated box split along its length into a pair of substantially identical elongated U-shaped in cross-section box halves, each half formed of two elongated parallel side walls joined with an elongated bottom wall perpendicular to the side walls, end walls spaced inwardly from the ends of the side and bottom walls, and an open elongated side opposite the bottom wall, with the box half open sides opposing each other so that the two halves may be brought together with the respective side walls and end walls of each half aligned to form the box as a closed container;

said end walls of each box half having an opposed aligned aperture therein;

d. each of said roller means being an elongated tube and having a fixed female spindle extending axially outwardly thereof at a first end, and having a spring loaded male spindle means'extending axially outwardly thereof at a second end;

. said spring loaded male spindle means including a tween being normally releasably mounted in one box half with the fixed female spindle mounted in one end wall aperture and the male spindle means mounted in the opposed end wall aperture with the plate and stud exteriorly of the box end wall but interiorly of the elongated length of the box half;

g. whereby when said box halves are closed, the roller means and scrollare longitudinally within the length of the box side walls and bottom walls; and

h. Whereby said box is insertable into said support frame with the box halves thereafter separated with the first roller means aligned with the lower holes in each frame side wall and with the box half containing the other roller means being engaged between said tracks and moved vertically therein until the second roller means is aligned with the upper holes in each frame side wall, each of said female spindles being coupled to its aligned aperture by an axle which extends through the aperture and into the spindle and each of said male spindle means being released so that each plate and stud extend longitudinally beyond the box side walls and bottom wall to engage one of said coupling means. 

1. In an advertising sign having a fixed position vertically arranged support frame formed of interconnected elongated vertical side members and having opposed inner vertical side walls with inwardly extending edge flanges to form vertical tracks, an upper hole in each side wall to horizontally position an upper roller means therebetween and a lower hole in each side wall to horizontally position a lower roller means therebetween, and a pair of coupling means, each associated with one of said holes in one vertical side wall to engage a roller means for rotating the roller means, and a pair of axles each associated with one of said holes in the other vertical side wall, the improvement comprising: a. an elongated box split along its length into a pair of substantially identical elongated U-shaped in cross-section box halves, each half formed of two elongated parallel side walls joined with an elongated bottom wall perpendicular to the side walls, end walls spaced inwardly from the ends of the side and bottom walls, and an open elongated side opposite the bottom wall, with the box half open sides opposing each other so that the two halves may be brought together with the respective side walls and end walls of each half aligned to form the box as a closed container; b. said end walls of each box half having an opposed aligned aperture therein; c. first and second roller means having a cloth-like message bearing scroll therebetween with one end of the scroll fastened around one roller means and the opposite end of the scroll fastened around the other roller means; d. each of said roller means being an elongated tube and having a fixed female spindle extending axially outwardly thereof at a first end, and having a spring loaded male spindle means extending axially outwardly thereof at a second end; e. said spring loaded male spindle means including a plug having an internal bore, a spring positioned in said bore, a shaft telescopically mounted in said bore in contact with said spring and a plate mounted on said shaft and having an axially outwardly projecting stud, said shaft having a radial key fitted into a keyway in said bore; and f. each of said roller means with said scroll therebetween being normally releasably mounted in one box half with the fixed female spindle mounted in one end wall aperture and the male spindle means mounted in the opposed end wall aperture with the plate and stud exteriorly of the box end wall but interiorly of the elongated length of the box half; g. whereby when said box halves are closed, the roller means and scroll are longitudinally within the length of the box side walls and bottom walls; and h. Whereby said box is insertable into said support frame with the box halves thereafter separated with the first roller means aligned with the lower holes in each frame side wall and with the box half containing the other roller means being engaged between said tracks and moved vertically therein until the second roller means is aligned with the upper holes in each frame side wall, each of said female spindles being coupled to its aligned aperture by an axle which extends through the aperture and into the spindle and each of said male spindle means being released so that each plate and stud extend longitudinally beyond the box side walls and bottom wall to engage one of said coupling means. 